Satsangs

Satsang is a compound Sanskrit word that means “keeping the company of the Self.” The Self, Awareness, is the true nature of everyone and one keeps company with it by continually meditating on it in many ways. One of the most effective methods involves discussing non-dual teachings with someone who has realized his or her identity as the Self, to get clarity with reference to Self inquiry. The satsangs posted here are the questions of many people around the world who are interested in enlightenment and find that Vedanta is their preferred means of Self knowledge. Since I am a teacher of Vedanta, a time tested means of self inquiry, I am qualified to reply to these questions.~James Swartz

ShiningWorld Reader

Cathy: Dear
James, I’ve
watched all the videos from Westerwald 2014, and I’m reading How
to Attain Enlightenment and your newsletters
with the excerpts from your new book, but I still have some questions
that I can’t work through by myself (seemingly).

1. In
one of the sessions at Westerwald, you seem to say that there is
nothing you can do about your health even when you completely
understand that you are the self, but in Mystic
by Default when you had been stung by a
scorpion, a naga
baba was able to change your body quite
drastically; and if it’s to be believed, it was found after
Gurdjieff died that most of his organs had ceased to function some
years before his death. As the body is energy, it would seem logical
that it could be altered from vibrating at one particular level to
another? Is it possible?

James:
Yes, but it is the exception rather than the rule. And it is not
something that a jiva
does consciously. It is always Isvara
contravening Its own rules for some special spiritual reason. If you
compare the millions seeking miraculous cures with the handful that
find them, you can’t help but conclude that it might be wise to
seek a more conventional solution or to accept the situation. If
there were some science to it, then we would have many miraculous
healers and miraculous healings would be as common as conventional
medical healings. And as far as I know, there have never been
follow-up studies to see if the healings lasted.

Cathy:
2. In session 15 of Westerwald you talk about the question “Who am
I?” and seem to say that it is pointless. Before I came to your
classes (for which I am very, very grateful), I worked my way through
many other teachings, particularly those of Ramana Maharshi who left
instructions on self-enquiry and the question “Who am I?” –
although what he truly meant by that has been the subject of many
discussions and books.

Sri
Ramana says, “The thought ‘Who am I?’ will destroy all other
thoughts, and like the
stick used for stirring the funeral pyre, it will itself be burnt up
in the end.

“Then
there will be selfrealization. When other thoughts arise, one should
not pursue them but should diligently enquire: ‘To whom do they
occur?’ It does not matter how many thoughts arise. As each thought
arises, one should enquire with alertness, ‘To whom has this
thought arisen?’ The answer that would emerge would be ‘to me.’
Thereupon if one enquires ‘Who am I?,’ the mind will go back to
its source; and the thought that arose will subside.”

James:
Yes, this is a valuable inquiry. I see a couple of problems with
these words, however. The statement “would emerge” might make the
inquirer think that he or she had to wait for the words “to me”
to happen before the mind “goes back to its source.” But logic
indicates that thoughts only occur to you. This leads to the question
“Who or what is the ‘me’?” Ramana means that the “me” is
awareness but it is equally true that thoughts seem to come from the
jiva.
So how does one know if one is the jiva
or awareness, “the me”? Furthermore, one need not wait for the
answer because an inquirer can apply the knowledge “I am awareness”
to any thought consciously and the thought will subside. Scripture
and the testimony of sages like Ramana can be trusted – awareness
is the “me.” It is true whether or not it comes from “within.”
Finally, the thought will subside even if no thought is applied or if
the inquirer waits for an answer because no thought lasts forever.
And what happens if the answer does not emerge? Very often people ask
this question and get no answer. Or if some other answer emerges?

Also,
we need to ask if the “mind going back to its source” is actually
moksa
and the thoughts subsiding is moksa.
It may be an epiphany but is it moksa?
And what is to prevent a mind that has gone back to its source from
going back to whence it came? Or what is to prevent the thoughts from
starting up again? The implication is that moksa
is nomind. Many people realize they are awareness only to have the
mind fall back into ignorance and many realized people, like Ramana,
had thoughts. The mind is notoriously fickle and always under the
sway of the vasanas.
What comes goes, and what goes comes. Thoughts can be very useful
insofar as we can’t do any action without a preceding thought. In
fact, you are awareness irrespective of where or when the mind goes
or comes. You are awareness whether or not your mind is thinking. It
is certainly a desirable experience when the mind rests in its source
but the only thing that will keep it there is the hard and fast
knowledge of the nature of “the source.” And if this knowledge is
hard and fast, does it matter where the mind rests? Yes, it is great
to realize the self and quiet the mind, but the mind needs to
understand what the self is in terms of its existence in the apparent
reality. I would ask myself, “Who observes the mind and who
observes ‘the source’?” To see the mind going back to its
source, you would have to be something other than the mind and the
source and their “merger.” That “who” is you – simple,
ordinary, non-dual awareness.

Finally,
what thoughts need to be “destroyed?” Do thoughts stand in the
way of awareness? You are awareness and you think. The thinking does
not negate you. So the thoughts that need to be destroyed are
thoughts that stand in the way of your appreciation of your nature as
awareness, i.e. thoughts that you are limited. Will merging the mind
actually destroy those thoughts? It may, but they will return once
the mind leaves the self. Self-knowledge will destroy thoughts of
limitation. That is why there are Vedanta scriptures. They teach what
knowledge and ignorance are, allowing the inquirer to banish limiting
thoughts. But even limiting thoughts need not be a problem if you
don’t identify with them – which you won’t if you know they are
ignorance. They will just be seen as unreal.

Cathy:
I still find it quite useful to say “Who am I?” to myself
because it brings me back to being awareness and utter stillness. I
watched a lot of Papaji before going to Ramana, and his thing seemed
to be trying to show people that they are That – not this, not
that, but That – but there appear to be no real instructions of how
to understand That!! I was pretty lost before coming to your teaching
of Vedanta and I really thank you for making this available.

James:
That’s right. It is one thing to understand in some kind of
experiential way that you are “That” but how do you make sense of
it? You need a context in which the understanding can take place –
the big picture, as it were. This teaching is experience-oriented and
doesn’t take Isvara
into account, in this case the vasanas
which affect the mind and which can easily prevent understanding.
Vedanta provides a context in which self-knowledge can take place and
become rooted. It gives the mind tools to root out the ignorance on
its own.

Cathy:
3. Is it possible to realise who you truly are if you are not able to
attend your classes in person? I am watching as many videos of your
teachings as I can, reading your writings, contemplating and asking
Narayanaya for help; is it possible that this will be enough? It
sounds a bit feeble but there are circumstances make it difficult for
me to travel. I live in the UK and just missed your two days here in
April because I signed up for your newsletter at the end of April –
just too late! If you come back to the UK, I will certainly make
every effort to come to your classes but out of the UK is
problematic.

James:
Yes, it is, assuming your qualifications are up to speed. I wasn’t
sure that it was possible when I first put up the website and wrote
the books and started filming, but I get several emails a year –
maybe 10 or more – from people I never met who did not attend the
teachings physically who said that Vedanta ended their seeking. Some
people like the videos better because they can go over and over the
teaching until they understand. There are some people who hear the
teachings in person who realize their nature as awareness and there
are many that don’t. It is all a matter of one’s qualifications.
Having said that, Vedanta sadhana
will qualify you if you are diligent. You might consider getting the
Vedanta
Full Set of videos and working your
way through them slowly. They are on the website and very cheap. You
get 110 hours of teaching for $200 which works out to a little over
one quid an hour. I have a new book coming out soon which is
basically the same as How
to Attain Enlightenment but it may
make the teaching a little more accessible, so watch the website.

Cathy:
Thank you so much for your reply and for answering my queries so
clearly. I’ve watched your class about Isvara
and the samsara
chakra, and I’m reading through some of
your answers to questions about Ishvara.
At the moment I realise that I don’t really understand Isvara
but I’ll keep studying and looking at what you have said before
asking you any more questions about It.

James:
Understanding Isvara
is the key to moksa.
It is the connection between the jiva
and the self, awareness. It is a rather subtle and complex topic and
needs a bit of contemplation. Yes, just keep at it. Isvara
will make sense before long. The more diligently you inquire using
Vedanta as the means, the more easy it is to understand. The most
important qualification is your interest. Feed it. You will not
regret it.

Cathy:
I’ve found what you said about the question “Who am I?”
extremely helpful and it clarifies the whole issue of working in that
way with thoughts and mind. I’ve been following your suggested
words of “I am awareness,” and have had wonderful spaces of being
awareness and understanding that everything that appears to exist is
just in awareness and is awareness. Fantastic! I’ll keep working
with that and rereading what you have said. I have spent so many
years fighting with my mind, it is so wonderful to understand that
this is not the way. What a relief!

I feel
very happy that people have reached the end of seeking through your
videos and writings, and obviously hope that this will be so for me.
I don’t truly know if my qualifications are up to speed but I’ll
keep asking Ishvara
to help; and if it is at all possible I will buy the full teachings
as soon as I can.

Thank
you again for taking the time to answer me so fully. I really, really
appreciate it.

~ With
love and all best wishes, Cathy

Contacting Shining World

For years I have happily and diligently responded to communications on the topic of Self realization. Since the publication of my book, “How to Attain Enlightenment”— currently in its third printing —and the success of this website, the volume of emails has increased considerably. Unfortunately, owing to a busy schedule of teaching and writing, I am no longer able to answer all the emails I receive in a timely fashion. However, my wife, who is also a teacher, and several well-qualified teachers we have endorsed are available to answer emails on my behalf. I encourage you to send them your questions.
— James SwartzContact Us